BLEACHERS BREW EST. MAY 2006

Someone asked me how my blog and newspaper column came to be titled "Bleachers Brew". It's like this, it's an amalgam of sorts of two things: The bleachers area in the stadium/arena where I used to sit when I would watch baseball, football, and basketball games and Miles Davis' great jazz album Bitches Brew. That's how it got culled together. I originally planned on calling it "The View from the Big Chair" that is a nod to Tears For Fear's second album, Songs from the Big Chair. So there.

It’s a moment frozen in time. If you look at the Rizal Memorial
Football Stadium today, many of the structures built that day remain in place
even if unused. There’s the clock that has stopped as if to mark a time and
place. An event.

It wasn’t just an event. In fact, it sent ripples down and
helped father today’s football generation.

On Thursday, November 28, 1991, the Rizal Memorial Football
Stadium, the old sports complex along Adriatico was packed and rocking
following an improbable win by the Philippine Men’s Football National Team as they
defeated regional power Malaysia, 1-nil.

In their first game of the group stage, the Philippines led
Vietnam 2-1 but a late goal in the 84th minute saw the Vietnamese
draw level. Despite the disappointment of not coming away with the three full
points, the Filipinos were confident that they could beat Malaysia. It wouldn’t
be easy but it was very much doable.

Against the Tigers, the Philippine team, as coached by Eckhard
Krautzun and Rolando Plagata, played with an ultra-defensive 5-3-1-1 formation.
“Ang game plan namin ay maglaro ng depensa tapos tirahin sila sa mga counter,”
explained defender Marlon Maro. “We were almost successful because we had very
good opportunities to score.”

The Malaysians however, found cracks in the defense to pepper
the Philippine goal with a variety of shots. But keeper Melo Sabacan was
magnificent at goal. With 15 minutes left in a tightly contested match, Philippine
midfielder Alfredo Dioso Jr. found Elmer Bedia, who was just sent in the match
to provide fresh legs, racing up the right flank. Drawing the defense, Bedia
sent a perfect cross to striker Norman Fegidero Jr. who controlled the ball
with his chest. Fegidero, faked the goalkeeper one way then sent the ball with
his strong left foot to the back of the net.

The Malaysians were in shock. They hosted the Philippine team for
a month in Kuala Lumpur. Their coach, Bakhri Ibni, helped train the Filipinos
and the Football Association of Malaysia paid for their expenses. Three months
later, the pupil bested the teacher.

As the referee blew the final whistle that marked full time, the
venerable stadium that bore the name of the nation’s national hero erupted in pandemonium
as they celebrated their new heroes. The technicians working the stadium’s
sound system played Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and the throbbing pulsating
music whipped the fans all the more into a frenzy. There was dancing and
singing in the stands. Grown Malaysian men, veterans of many a football war,
openly wept. The crowd surged forward to the pitch to embrace and celebrate
with the players.

Bob Guerrero, the voice of the Azkals, was in college back then
and he was one of those who ran down to the pitch to celebrate. “I remember
going down and hugging whoever player I saw,” reminisced Guerrero.

“All of a sudden, you had all the media – foreign and local –
trying to get interviews with us,” Fegidero described of that moment. “It was
crazy. It was like when the Azkals beat Vietnam in the 2010 Suzuki Cup. The
difference is that was the pre-internet age.”

Added Rudy del Rosario who also played striker for the team,
“The headline in Malaysia the following day read: ‘national disaster.’ That was
how big it was. They were the defending SEA Games champions and the whipping
boys of Southeast Asia just beat them. We were giant killers. We were kings if
only for just one day.”

The coaching staff preached caution as dangerous Indonesia
lurked around the corner, their last assignment of the group stage. They had
four points in two matches and they had an opportunity to advance farther than
they’ve ever done before.

And it looked like they would fell another giant as the
Philippines led Indonesia 1-0. But defender Judy Saluria fouled an Indonesian
inside the box and that led to a penalty. The Filipinos never recovered from
that as not only did the Merah Putih equalize but they also scored a second
goal to win 2-1.

In the next stage of the competition, Singapore, all too aware
of the capabilities of the Filipinos, did not allow the home team to get in the
game as they blanked the Filipinos for the first time in the competition to
beat them 2-0 for the bronze medal. The Philippines finished fourth in the
seven-nation football tournament.

Following the 1991 Southeast Asian Games where the Philippines
placed second in the medal tally, the Men’s Football Team, after eight months
of playing together, was disbanded while their German advisers went back to
their home country.

For one brief and shining moment, the draw against Vietnam and
the win against Malaysia (followed by the thrilling match against Indonesia
that ended in a loss), gave the country something to cheer for. And it inspired
many of the current generation playing football today.

The
starting XI during the Philippines vs. Malaysia game:

Melo Sabacan – goalkeeper

Adolfo Alicante – sweeper

Judy Saluria – stopper

Marlon Maro – stopper

Rolando Piñero – left fullback

Edgar Berja – right fullback

Hersey Salmon – left wing

Eduardo Duran – right wing

Alfredo Dioso Jr. – midfield

Filamer Rosell – striker

Norman Fegidero Jr. – striker

The
1991 Philippine Men’s Football National Team:

Adolfo Alicante, Iloilo, DF

Jess Baron, Iloilo, DF

Elmer Bedia, Iloilo, FW

Edgar Berja, Iloilo, DF

Nonoy Carpio, Manila, GK

Rudy del Rosario, Manila, FW

Jun dela Cruz, Iligan, DF/MF

Alfredo Dioso Jr., Bacolod, MF

Eduardo Duran, Dumaguete, MF

Norman Fegidero Jr., Bacolod, FW

Herbert Ignacio, Dumaguete, DF/MF

Eduardo Marasigan Jr., Batangas, MF

Marlon Maro, Dumaguete, DF

Rolando Piñero, Dumaguete, DF

Filamer Rosell, Manila MF/FW

Melo Sabacan, Bacolod, GK

Hersey Salmon, Davao, MF Acer

Judy Saluria, Iloilo, DF Manila Army

Coaching
Staff:

Consultant: Eckhard Krautzun, Germany

Goalkeeper coach, Riko Weigand, Germany

Rolando Plagata, Iloilo, head coach

Consurcio Manresa, Iligan, assistant coach

Where
are they now?

Adolfo Alicante led FEU to several football titles and is now
coach of Green Archers United.

Jess Baron is with the Philippine Army.

Elmer Bedia lives in Australia where he handles a variety of
football clinics.

Edgar Berja recently retired from the Air Force and now resides
in his native Iloilo.

Nonoy Carpio works with the Asian Football Confederation.

Rudy del Rosario is one of three people to form Kaya FC and is
currently the head coach of the Homeless World Cup Team

Alfredo Dioso Jr. works with an electric company.

Norman Fegidero Jr. coached the Azkals for a spell and is the
successful head coach of West Negros University. He also coaches Pachanga FC in
the UFL.

Herbert Ignacio works with a bank.

Eduardo Marasigan Jr. now resides in the United States.

Marlon Maro is coach of the College of Saint Benilde, the Street
Child World Cup Team, and Navy FC.

Rolando Piñero is an assistant coach with the Azkals and was
there with the team in Vietnam in that momentous 2010 Suzuki Cup.

Filamer Rossel works for Mama Sita.

Melo Sabacan is a goalkeeper coach today with Navy.

Hersey Salmon works with Acer.

Judy Saluria is with the Army.

Eckhard Krautzun still does football work for FIFA.

Riko Weigand is still a goalkeeper coach.

Rolando Plagata passed away.

Consurcio Manresa works with the PFF as Technical Director for
Mindanao.

he is the husband of SLS-Don Bosco's current principal. i find it weird though of him not showing up on local pitches to encourage the youth whenever he has a free time. although he could be helping out in some other aspect.

never knew coach roroy was a part of the national team. he coached for a number of years in the AFC and helped out with the Ateneo HS team with former HS coach Edwin Cabalida (who is now also an azkal asst coach)

I was one of the few spectators of that historic game.The bleachers and the grandstand had a lot of empty spaces then. Nakakapanindig balahibo nang maka-goal ang Philippines.I hope that this second chance, the renaissance of football will be all the way. Hwag sanang maging ningas cogon. Its up to us fans, media and private sponsors to keep the fire burning!

I was one of the few spectators of that historic game. The almost empty bleachers and grandstand was silent until the Philippines made the goal.Nakakapanindig balahibo. It was all euphoria afterwards. I hope that the football renaissance will be all the way. It is up to us fans, media and private sponsors to keep the fire burning.

melo sabacan was my idol during my high school days.. he was really good.. our coach rene diofita's always tells me to study melo's foot and leg work.. he was a master in cutting shooter's goal angle. I believe his ht was only 5'4 to 5'5.. until now i use his tips when i play GK...

nonoy fegidero, he runs like a horse and has stamina like a tamaraw.. his speed makes him deadly in 1 vs 1 attack and he is a very humble guy..

alfred "bambi" dioso, a classic midfielder. when you look for precision passing and a dependable center midfielder.. you can always count on him.. this is what our team needs now. a formidable center mid fielder..

hahahaha......starring......my coach in my college playing days was the assistant coach of the Philippine National Football Team that beats Malaysia in 1991 SEA Games...Mr. Consorcio Manreza.,so fortunate to be under his tutelage...learn so much from him.....roroy pinero and noy fegidero were my classmates in coaching courses....jun dela cruz is a close friend....so fortunate to be in touch with this legendary people

I WAS A 2ND YEAR FOOTBALL VARSITY STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF STO TOMAS DURING THAT TIME.HERDS OF US FLOCKED TO THE RIZAL MEMORIAL STADIUM JUST BELOW THE TORCH OF SPORTSMANSHIP (LA SALLE SIDE) CHEERING ALL-OUT FOR THE PHIL TEAM. PHIL TEAM GOALKEEPER IS OUR ASST COACH IN UST MENS FOOTBALL TEAM, HE'S NO OTHER THAN. MR NONOY CARPIO CURRENTLY WITH THE AFC.MORE POWER TO PHIL FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!! GO OUT AND SUPPORT..SET AWAY POLITICS IN SPORTS!